Hemp firm partners with UA researchers to develop cannabis

January 1, 2019

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — A northwest Arkansas company plans to work with the University of Arkansas to grow, research and process hemp flowers for the budding cannabis oil industry.

Fayetteville-based Arkansas Hemp Genetics LLC says it has secured a partnership with the university’s horticulture department to research industrial hemp for the first time since its prohibition after World War II.

Bill Morgan, chief operations officer of Hemp Genetics, tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that hemp could be a viable crop again, specifically for Arkansas, thanks to increased cannabis product demand and support from businesses and politicians. The 2019 Farm Bill passed by Congress last month effectively legalized industrial hemp.

Cannabidiol is used to treat medical issues like epileptic seizures, anxiety, inflammation and sleeplessness although experts say there’s little research to show it’s an effective treatment.